Will the Colts trade up for the No.3 pick? 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Speculation abounds about what the Indianapolis Colts will do with the fourth pick in the NFL Draft.

The Colts desperately need a quarterback, and there are only two elite quarterbacks available who look like they could be NFL-ready in year one. Unfortunately for the Colts, it is all-but-guaranteed that Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young will both go in the top two, and Indy will be left to take a lower-tier signal caller.

The Cardinals, who are picking third, don't need a quarterback, so the Colts could pick the third-best QB if Arizona stays put. But with multiple teams picking behind Indianapolis who also want a QB, the Cardinals could be tempted to trade down. Will Indianapolis trade to move up one spot and lock in the QB3?

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What Are the Colts Looking For in the Draft?

Colts owner Jim Irsay said he likes Bryce Young. Unfortunately for him, it seems the Texans also like Bryce Young, and he'll be gone by pick No. 2 if he isn't taken No. 1. (Talk is that the Panthers will probably take Stroud at No. 1.)

The Colts haven't had a productive and winning quarterback since Andrew Luck retired. Luck, whom they pick No. 1 in 2012, was the last QB they picked in the first round. He abruptly retired in 2019 after a six-year career that included four 4,000-yard seasons.

The Colts have only had a single first-round pick in the past four years. They used it to draft Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye, who has been solid. The Colts traded their 2022 first-rounder for Carson Wentz.

Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson are the next two quarterbacks after Young and Stroud.

Will the Colts Trade to Move Up to No. 3?

Will Levis and Anthony Richardson are both bigger and more athletic than Young and Stroud, but they are also worse passers. Between the two, Levis is a better passer, but Richardson is more athletic.

Until the NFL Combine, the consensus was Richardson wouldn't go anywhere near No. 1. Yeah, he ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns on 103 carries his junior year, but he only completed 53.8% of his passes. Richardson moved into top-5 consideration after showing off with the most athletic Combine for a QB ever.

Levis completed 65.4% of his passes his senior year for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Despite his big arm, he was underwhelming in terms of big-time plays. I would guess Levis is currently ahead of Richardson in most QB-needy teams' eyes, as he has shown much more as a passer.

A wild card is Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, whom I included as a middle first-round pick in my mock draft three weeks ago. Since then, Hooker hype has been building, and ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum has mocked him going No. 5.

It comes down to this: does Indianapolis have a preference between Levis, Richardson, and possibly Hooker? If the Colts would be happy with two of them, they should stay put; they will be able to draft one of them. If the Colts have a clear preference and don't like one of the others, they might want to trade up so they don't get jumped by the Raiders, Falcons, Commanders, Ravens, or Titans.

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